We All Fall Down
by Loopylou
Summary: A simple raid leads the team to a shocking discovery that could cost one of the team everything.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note-

This is my first ever Hawaii 5-o fan fic. I'm not sure how it is going to work out, or how good it's going to be. Not sure I quite have a handle on these characters, but we'll see. I've had this plot bunny nagging me for a while now and I decided to give it a go. Hopefully, you'll like it.

Disclaimer- I don't own them. I'm just borrowing them and will give them back. Promise.

_Laws are partly formed for the sake of good men, in order to instruct them how they may live on friendly terms with one another, and partly for the sake of those who refuse to be instructed, whose spirit cannot be subdued, or softened, or hindered from plunging into evil._

_Plato_

_People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf._

_George Orwell_

We All Fall Down

Rain lashed against the windows as the big truck raced down the city streets. Steve had both hands glued to the wheel as he wrestled the Silverado around a corner. The road felt slick and dangerous under his wheels. Spray danced, silver in his headlights. A flash of lightening somewhere behind him lit the sky in brilliant white. Thunder rumbled behind it, so loud that he could feel it in his bones.

Sweat trickled down his back under his vest. He barely felt it, all of his attention focused on the road. It took all of his willpower not to mash the gas pedal into the floorboard. _Damn it, we're running out of time, _he thought and risked a glance at his watch. The illuminated face showed it was a quarter to midnight. _Damn it. This is taking too long._

The road straightened in front of him and he gave into the impulse, pressing the gas pedal to the floor and ignoring the way the truck squirmed on the slick asphalt. He drove through a red light and made another hard left turn, heart leaping into his throat when the back end of the truck started to slide. A loud bang tore through the cab.

Time seemed to pause as Steve fought to control the truck. It slammed into the guard rail, throwing sparks high into the night. The impact smashed his head into the side window, leaving him dazed. Blood ran into his eyes and mouth. He barely had time to register the pain before the truck flipped, landing on its roof and skidding across the road. It juddered to a halt next to a tree.

The last thing he saw before darkness swamped him was the glowing face of his watch. He would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that it was mocking him.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note-

Thank you for all the great comments. I appreciate them very much. :)

Another short chapter, sorry. I am planning to make these longer. I'm just having a hard time getting a proper handle on some of the characters.

This is not a slash story. :) I have nothing against slash, but I don't write it myself.

Hope you enjoy. :)

Chapter One

~72 hours earlier

Danny walked through the 5-0 squad room, nodding at Chin and Kono as he headed towards his private office. He opened the door and paused, blinking at his desk in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me," he muttered and gingerly picked up the offending item, then headed back into the squad room. Chin and Kono were no-where in sight, so he headed towards his partner's office.

Steve looked up as the door opened. His desk was cluttered with paperwork. A cup of coffee sat next to his elbow, still mostly untouched. His laptop hummed quietly on the other side of his desk, screensaver revolving slowly.

"What the hell is this?" Danny asked, and set it down in front of the dark-haired man.

Steve shot him a strange look. "That's a pineapple, Danno." He moved the fruit off his paperwork and scribbled his signature on another sheet before sliding it into his out tray.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that. Why was it in my office?" He sat down and stretched his legs out while he waited for an answer, idly flicking through a pile of evidence reports.

"Lacy Monroe's parents sent us a fruit basket." Steve held up an apple, then opened his desk drawer and pulled out a knife, cutting sure slices from the fruit. "They wanted to thank us for getting their little girl back to them in one piece." He offered a slice of apple to Danny.

The blonde man gave it a suspicious look, then relented, accepting it and chewing it slowly. "That was nice of them. Why did I get the pineapple?"

Steve grinned. "I thought you might appreciate it." His phone rang before Danny could answer him. "Yes, this is Steve McGarrett." He grabbed a pen and scribbled a note on a scrap of paper. "Yes, Governor, we'll be right there."

"What's up?" Danny asked. The expression on Steve's face told him it was nothing good.

"HPD just saw one of the suspects in the Frost case driving on the highway. They followed him back to a house. They have it surrounded, and are watching him but they're having to hang back because of the location. The officer behind the house says it looks like Anderson is packing to leave. The Governor wants us to go in."

"Who is our back up?" Danny held the door open and studied his partner's face. "We are getting back up, right?"

Steve shook his head. "SWAT is involved in a hostage situation on the other side of the island. They'd never get back before Anderson bolts."

Danny sighed and shook his head. "Where is he?"

They reached the centre of the squad room. Steve typed an address on the table-top computer and sent the result to the screen. It showed a lone house sunk deep into the forest. A single road lead towards it, twisting through the dense trees like a river.

"That looks like a nightmare."

"Yeah." Steve nodded grimly. "Limited access, lots of places he can bolt to if he catches sight of us. Lots of cover where he can go to ground."

The squad room door swung open behind them. Kono walked in, carrying a cardboard tray that held four paper cups of coffee. She saw their expressions and set the cups down, hurrying over to the table-top computer. Chin followed behind her, a stack of folders in his arms.

"What's up?" Kono asked. She studied the map on the screen, brown tensing in concentration.

Steve explained quickly, sketching out the details that he had. Danny listened quietly, watching his partner as he laid out his plans. Steve looked tense, but it was subtle, a slight tightening of his face, a slight tension through his shoulders.

Danny knew that his own posture was a mirror of his partners, could feel the tension creeping down his back. His pulse raced and his palms felt warm, almost sweaty. He didn't have to listen to Steve to know that this op was going to be a tough one. He could see that with his own eyes, just looking at the map. Anderson was one bad dude, and the world would be a better place with him behind bars- or six feet under- but Danny wasn't looking forward to being the one to put him there.

"So we go in?" Chin asked. "We'll have to hike the last mile in. He'll hear us coming otherwise."

"We go in." Steve nodded. "Danny and I will take the front. I want you and Kono covering the back." He glanced at the screen, face pensive. "Anderson is armed and considered extremely dangerous. Remember, he spent his time on the mainland killing cops. He won't hesitate to shoot. If you get a shot, you take it." He glanced at his watch. "Gear up. We meet outside in ten minutes."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note- What do you think of the quotes? Like them? Hate them? I got a wonderful book of quotes for my birthday and it is quite fun using them in this. If you hate them I'll stop adding them though. :)

As always, thank you for reading and for the feedback.

"_Courage is grace under pressure." _

_Ernest Hemingway_

_"When a good man is hurt, all who would be called good must suffer with him."_

_Euripides_

Chapter Two

Steve adjusted the Velcro strap on his vest then shrugged his shoulders to settle it. He checked his gun, clicking a new magazine home with practiced fingers before he slipped it into the holster on his right thigh. Spare magazines hung from his vest, in easy reach in case he needed them. His earpiece dangled over his right shoulder, attached to the radio clipped to his belt. He hooked his badge on his vest and picked up his gloves, tugging them on.

Satisfied that he was ready, he grabbed the large bag resting on the floor next to his booted feet and headed towards the door. He ignored the crowded elevator in favour of jogging down the stairs. Sweat was already dampening the black t-shirt under his vest.

Danny met him at the bottom. He wore his own vest and his gun sat ready on his hip. He cast a practiced eye over Steve, checking his equipment and knew his partner was doing the same for him. They exchanged nods, Danny offering a wry smile at the sheer amount of equipment Steve managed to carry on his person.

"Sure you don't want a few more mags on that vest, Rambo?" he kidded as they walked towards the door to the car park. "I feel positively under dressed here." He waved his hands at his own torso.

"That's funny, Danno," Steve said. "Very funny."

"What's in the bag?" Danny asked as they left the building and walked towards the cars.

"Thermal imaging camera," Steve replied and swung the bag into the locker in the bed of his truck. "Should be able to tell us what's going on in the house."

"That's it?" Danny spread his hands. "No nasty surprises?"

Steve closed the locker and fastened it, shooting Danny a quick smile. "The nasty surprises are in the other bag."

Danny leaned against the truck. "Of course they are," he muttered.

Kono walked towards them. Her long strides ate up the ground. She had strapped on her vest and fastened her hair back from her face. The badge on her belt glinted in the bright sunlight. She tucked her hands in her pockets, looking a little unsure.

Danny was suddenly struck by just how young she looked. He knew that she was fully trained, but it served as a reminder that she didn't have the same amount of experience as the rest of them. This was shaping up to be a tough bust, and he made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

"So, Kono, what do you think it'll be this time?" Danny started, shooting a side long look at Steve. "Me, I'm going to go for a grenade through the roof."

Steve looked up from the map he was studying. "I only did that once." He paused and thought about it. "Well, okay. Technically, twice."

Kono smiled. "Does this house have a skylight?"

"I really doubt it," Steve said and managed to sound a little disappointed.

Kono chuckled, while Danny just shook his head.

Chin jogged towards the group. His bright shirt was a sharp counterpoint to the stark darkness of his vest. He carried his shotgun in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. "Latest from HPD. They haven't seen anyone leave the house, but they did see a truck going in. Four male occupants in the vehicle."

"Thanks, Chin," Steve said.

He spread a map on the truck's hood and waited until they gathered around it before he traced his finger along a road. "This is where the house is located. We park up here-" he tapped a spot on the map with his finger "-and hike in from there. It's about half a mile from the house. That should be far enough away that anyone in there won't be able to hear us coming. Chin, Kono, I want you to cover the back. I'll send HPD with you. Danny and I will go in the front."

They all nodded.

"Remember, this guy is armed and dangerous. He has killed cops before," Danny said. "He prefers knives, but he'll use anything he can lay his hands on as a weapon."

"HPD got a photo of Anderson." Chin handed over another sheet of paper. "They pulled it off a traffic cam this morning."

Anderson was sitting behind the wheel of a blue SUV. His hands looked heavily tattooed and he had a head full of thick dreadlocks, held back from his face with a bandana. Another tattoo covered most of his left cheek. Every finger had a ring on it, and his wrist sported a large, ugly watch.

"The dreads have to be a wig," Kono pointed out. "He was seen on the mainland less than two months ago. They wouldn't have grown that long that fast."

Danny stared down at the photo. "I hope it itches," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

_"There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough, and liked it, never really care for anything else."_

_Ernest Hemingway_

_"Evil is always unspectacular and always human. And shares our bed...and eats at our table."_

_W.H. Auden_

Chapter Four

The house looked quiet and empty. Large, lush plants had invaded the lawn. Vines grew on the house's walls, creeping across the window and roof in places. Broken paving tiles created a stepping stone path through the overgrown lawn towards the door. Three cars sat in the driveway. One matched the car Anderson had been driving when he triggered the traffic cam. It was a beat up pick up truck with more rust than faded blue paint.

Steve shot Danny a look and crept towards the truck, keeping low so that the vegetation would cover him. A bird burst from the undergrowth in front of him, flapping for the sky. He froze and waited for his heart to stop racing before he moved on, gingerly reaching over the truck. The hood felt cool under his fingers. It hadn't been driven for a few hours.

He unzipped the bag slung over his shoulder and took out the camera, pointing it at the house. The screen showed five distinct heat signatures. Three seemed to be seated at a table, but the other two were moving around.

"That can't tell us which one is our guy, can it?" Danny asked. He wiped his face with the back of one hand. A bug landed on his arm and he slapped it away. He was crouched beside Steve, gun drawn but pointed towards the ground. He would never live it down if he shot his partner by accident.

"I wish it could," Steve answered. He slid the camera back into its protective case and set the bag on the ground. "Ready?"

Danny nodded. "Ready."

They used the cars as cover and ran in a half crouch towards the house. Steve took the lead, letting Danny cover his six. He reached the house and pressed his back against the wall, twisting around to peek in through the window. The room on the other side was empty.

Danny slipped past him and did the same, raising his hand to show that the room he was looking into was occupied. He lifted two fingers, then pointed at the door with a questioning look.

Steve nodded and eased past him, taking a second to look through the window as he passed. The glass was grimy, but he could see through it well enough to spot a table that was piled high with knives, guns and ammo. He tightened his grip on his gun and kept walking.

They reached the front door at the same time. Steve hammered a kick into the door. The flimsy wood shattered around the lock and the door swung open, jamming on something just before it hit the wall.

Steve darted inside, flicking the light mounted on his gun on to dispel some of the gloom. The stench of old blood and rotting things almost made him gag. He swallowed it back and breathed through his mouth.

Danny followed close behind him, sweeping the narrow hallway with his gun. He counted five doors, all of them closed except the one directly in front of them. The smell hit him and made his stomach roll.

Steve tried the doors as he edged forward. All of them were locked. shadows moved beyond the open door. He hurried forwards, knowing that they were in a bad spot if anyone started shooting at them. There was no cover and no easy way to escape the hallway. It was a killing ground.

He peered around the door and felt his stomach churn as the stench got worse. Saliva flooded his mouth and he swallowed it back. A fat fly buzzed past his face. _Blow fly, _ his mind supplied helpfully. _Found on or around dead things. _He forced the thought away and stepped into the room, ducking sharply as two shots smacking into the wall where his head had been seconds before. His own shots hit the man in the shoulder and gut. He went down and stayed down.

Danny stepped into the room and crouched by the injured man's side, pressing his fingers to his neck. "This isn't Anderson," he said as he stood. The man was beyond any mortal help.

"No, it isn't," Steve said and looked around the room. "Does this place seem weird to you?"

Danny lifted a hand in a shrug. "It's Hawaii. The whole island is weird."

Steve shot him an irritated look, but didn't comment. He was studying the room around them, wondering what was out of place. Something seemed off to him, but he couldn't place it and didn't have the time to really look.

They moved on, heading towards another narrow hallway tucked into the back corner of the kitchen. It stretched back a few feet before it turned a corner.

Danny took the lead. The blond man peeked around the corner before he walked around it. Stairs rose in front of them.

Heavy, booted footsteps clattered across the wood floor somewhere about them. A man appeared on the stairs. He carried a bulging bag in one hand and held a gun in the other. Halfway down, his feet went out from under him. He crashed into the wall, slipping down a few steps before he caught his balance and carried on. Heavy, dirty looking dreadlocks covered most of his face.

"Five-o," Danny said flatly. "Put the gun on the ground and lean against the wall."

Anderson dropped the bag and lifted the gun, firing a couple of badly aimed shots towards Danny. They splintered the wooden wall above his head.

Steve stepped out of the shadows and jammed his gun against Anderson's neck. "Drop it."

The smaller man twisted around, slamming his elbow into Steve's stomach. Steve grunted and stepped back, letting Anderson get another blow in before he grabbed the smaller man's wrist and smashed it into the wall. The gun clattered to the floor. The SEAL pressed his advantage and hammered a blow to the side of Anderson's ribs.

Anderson raked his booted foot down Steve's shin and threw them both into the wall. The wood splintered under the impact. Anderson's elbow struck Steve in the face, drawing blood from the corner of his mouth.

Danny hung back, knowing that he would only get in his partner's way if he joined the fight. He kept an eye on the stairs and the hallway. None of them wanted any more nasty surprises.

Something snapped with a wet sounding pop and Anderson howled in pain. Steve gave his arm another vicious twist and forced him down to the floor, pressing a knee into the small of his back while he cuffed the smaller man. He looked up at Danny and smiled. "Book 'em, Danno."


End file.
